Messy Play, Big Learning: Why Sensory Experiences Matter

When children dig, pour, smear, splash, squeeze, and explore, they’re not “making a mess.” They’re building the neural architecture that supports language, self-regulation, creativity, and problem‑solving. Sensory experiences are one of the most powerful, developmentally aligned ways children make sense of their world.

Why Sensory Play Matters

Messy, sensory-rich experiences support:

1. Brain Development

• Sensory input strengthens neural pathways and supports the integration of multiple brain systems.
• Repetition—pouring again and again, squeezing again and again—helps children build predictability, pattern recognition, and confidence.

2. Emotional Regulation

• Sensory play is grounding.
• Materials like sand, water, clay, slime, and mud help children settle their nervous systems and express big feelings safely.

3. Language & Communication

• Rich sensory experiences give children real things to talk about.
• Words like "squishy," "gritty," "smooth," "sticky," "warm," "cold," "heavy," and "light" emerge naturally.

4. Social Learning

• Messy play invites collaboration, turn‑taking, negotiation, and shared problem‑solving.
• Children learn to read cues, adapt, and co‑construct ideas.

5. Identity & Agency

• Sensory play honours children as capable decision‑makers.
• They choose how to explore, how long to stay, and what meaning to make.

Messy Play Isn’t “Extra” It’s Essential

In a sector often pressured by documentation, compliance, and “school readiness,” sensory play can be misunderstood as optional or unstructured. In reality, it is:

Curriculum-rich

Messy play connects naturally to multiple curriculum areas:

• STEM: Children explore volume, force, absorption, viscosity, cause‑and‑effect, and transformation (e.g., “What happens when I add more water to the sand?”).
• Language: Rich descriptive vocabulary emerges—gooey, gritty, stretchy, runny, warm, and cold.
• Arts: Children mix colours, create textures, and experiment with mark‑making using hands, sticks, brushes, and natural materials.
• Social & Emotional Learning: Turn‑taking, negotiation, shared problem‑solving, and emotional regulation unfold organically.
• Cultural Learning: Using mud after rain, clay from Country, or seasonal natural materials connects children to place and identity.

Evidence‑based

Messy play is backed by decades of developmental research:

• Sensory experiences strengthen neural pathways and support brain integration.
• Repetitive sensory actions (pouring, squeezing, and scooping) build executive functioning and working memory.
• Hands‑on exploration supports self‑regulation and reduces stress.
• Open‑ended materials promote creativity, divergent thinking, and problem‑solving.
• Sensory play supports children with diverse sensory needs by offering predictable, grounding input.

Aligned with EYLF Outcomes

Messy play directly supports multiple EYLF Outcomes:

• Outcome 1 – Identity: Children express agency, preferences, and confidence as they choose how to explore materials.
• Outcome 2 – Community: Shared messy play spaces foster collaboration, respect, and belonging.
• Outcome 3 – Wellbeing: Sensory play supports emotional regulation, body awareness, and physical coordination.
• Outcome 4 – Learning: Children investigate, hypothesise, test ideas, and engage in sustained shared thinking.
• Outcome 5 – Communication: Children use rich vocabulary, gesture, storytelling, and symbolic play through sensory experiences.

A core pathway to wellbeing and belonging

Messy play nurtures the whole child:

• Sensory materials help children feel grounded, calm, and emotionally safe.
• Children experience joy, curiosity, and freedom—key ingredients for wellbeing.
• Messy play invites every child to participate, regardless of language, ability, or background.
• Using materials from local Country (mud, clay, leaves, water, sand) strengthens children’s connection to place and culture.
• Children feel seen and valued when their sensory preferences are respected and supported.

Messy Play Ideas for Indoors

For Babies (0–18 months)

Gentle, taste‑safe, exploratory experiences that honour sensory preferences and early schema play.

1. Edible Paint on Highchair Trays

• Yoghurt + a dash of natural food colouring = safe, cool, swirly exploration.

2. Warm Water Play in Shallow Trays

• Add cups, soft cloths, silicone spoons, or floating sponges.

3. Oobleck for Babies (Cornflour + Water)

• Place small amounts on a tray for patting, squeezing, and watching it “melt.”

4. Sensory Bags (Sealed)

• Hair gel, water beads (hydrated and sealed), glitter, or coloured water inside zip‑lock bags taped to the floor.

5. Soft Clay or Playdough Exploration

• Warm, soft dough for squeezing, poking, and pressing with palms.

6. Crushed Ice or Cold Sponges

• Temperature exploration with supervision—cool, wet, surprising.

For Toddlers (18 months – 3 years)

Toddlers thrive on cause‑and‑effect, filling/emptying, and big sensory actions.

1. Indoor Mud Kitchen (Clean Mud Version)

• Shredded toilet paper + warm soapy water + a bit of grated soap = soft, mouldable “mud.”

2. Scoop & Pour Stations

• Rice, oats, lentils, pasta, or kinetic sand with cups, funnels, and containers.

3. Finger Painting on Large Paper Rolls

• Add sponges, rollers, natural brushes (leaves, sticks), or textured stampers.

4. Bubble Foam Play

• Whipped dish soap + water (or baby wash for sensitive skin). Add scoops and trays.

5. Sticky Wall Collage

• Contact paper taped sticky‑side out + fabric scraps, feathers, paper shapes, leaves.

6. Sensory Car Wash

Cars, warm soapy water, brushes, cloths, and a drying station.

For Preschoolers (3–5 years)

Older children dive deeper into storytelling, experimentation, and symbolic play.

1. Clay & Natural Materials Studio

• Clay + sticks, shells, pebbles, leaves = sculpting, imprinting, building worlds.

2. Colour Mixing Lab

• Droppers, coloured water, trays, pipettes, clear cups—children test theories and create new colours.

3. Indoor Mud Play (Cornflour Mud or Potting Mix + Water)

• Add animals, people, or natural loose parts for small‑world storytelling.

4. Slime or Gloop Exploration

• Safe recipes only—stretching, cutting, twisting, and comparing textures.

5. Sensory Construction Zone

• Kinetic sand + blocks + recycled materials = building, collapsing, and redesigning.

6. Ice Excavation Indoors

• Freeze natural items or toys in ice; provide warm water, droppers, and tools for melting.

Open‑Ended Materials That Invite Exploration

1. Clay or Natural Clay From Country

• Children can roll it, pinch it, flatten it, carve into it, or mix it with water to change its texture.

2. Sand (Dry and Wet)

• Perfect for pouring, sifting, moulding, burying, tracing, and experimenting with weight and flow.

3. Water

• Children explore temperature, movement, volume, sinking/floating, and endless transformation.

4. Mud (Especially After Rain)

• Rich, sensory, and grounding—children can scoop, smear, mix, splash, and create landscapes or patterns.

5. Loose Parts (Shells, Pebbles, Sticks, Leaves, Seed Pods)

• These invite sorting, counting, building, storytelling, and symbolic play.

6. Playdough (Homemade or Scented)

• Soft, stretchy, and shapeable—children strengthen fine motor skills while exploring texture and creativity.

7. Recycled Materials (Boxes, Tubes, Lids, Containers)

• Open‑ended construction, problem‑solving, and imaginative design flourish here.

8. Sensory Bases (Rice, Lentils, Pasta, Oats)

• Children scoop, pour, bury, fill, empty, and explore sound, texture, and flow.

9. Natural Paints or Colour Mixing Trays

• Children experiment with blending, swirling, dripping, and mark‑making using brushes, sticks, or fingers.

10. Fabrics and Textiles (Scarves, Ribbons, Felt, Netting)

• Children explore movement, texture, wrapping, building cubbies, or creating dramatic play worlds.

What Educators Can Do

• Protect long, uninterrupted periods of play.
• Honour children’s sensory preferences and sensitivities.
• Document learning through meaning, not volume.
• Communicate the “why” to families with clarity and confidence.

Further Reading 

Benefits Of Sensory Play 
Sensory Play for Children And Its Importance
Tactile Sensory Play Ideas For Toddlers and Preschoolers
Edible Sensory Experiences For Children
Sensory Bin Ideas For Toddlers and Preschoolers